ASHBURN, Va. - Washington Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said the team's quarterback position will be opened up to competition for the 2015 season.
Washington's three quarterbacks were responsible for 18 touchdowns and 18 interceptions and four victories against 12 defeats this season.
All of which leaves first-year man Jay Gruden in somewhat of a bind, giving him the inspiration to start over again.
"I'd like to pick one as soon as I could so we could try to work and grind on him and develop him," Gruden said. "But until that position is earned, you have to have a competition. I anticipate us having a competition at a lot of spots, and quarterback is no different next year."
Robert Griffin and Colt McCoy both lost time to injury and Kirk Cousins was turnover-prone, responsible for half the team's interceptions, including 4 on one Monday night against the Giants.
"All three quarterbacks have shown the ability that they can play quarterback in the NFL," Gruden said. "But all three have shown they need some work. That's the case with most teams who are out of the playoffs right now. We're going to go through that process slowly but surely. But we will get there."
But Griffin, still the favorite of team owner Daniel Snyder, is clearly the greatest disappointment for the Redskins.
He featured in seven games this season after dislocating his ankle in Week 2. Backup Cousins would later be benched in favor of McCoy, who led the 'Skins to two of their four wins before Griffin returned from his injury in Week 9 at Minnesota.
Griffin completed 68.7 percent of his 214 pass attempts in that time for 1,694 yards, slinging four touchdowns and six interceptions as Washington acquired two wins in contests he started, against Jacksonville and Philadelphia.
Though Griffin would suffer the same fate as Cousins, being benched for McCoy before the Redskins' third-stringer fell to a neck injury twice, and Gruden was forced to start Griffin again.
"Obviously as a young quarterback he's going to go through some growing pains," Gruden said of him. "We all have a long way to go as far as learning each other's strengths and weaknesses, and we've just got to grow from there. He's got the arm talent to be a good quarterback. Obviously some issues in the pocket have to be worked with - anticipation, accuracy. There's a lot that can be improved on."
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